The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s review of 20 heat-related enforcement cases from 2012 to 2013. The key finding: CDC supports OSHA’s analysis suggesting that the primary risk factor for heat fatalities is the lack of acclimatization programs.
Of the 13 enforcement cases described in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that involved worker fatalities, nine of the deaths occurred in the first three days of working on the job, and four of them occurred on the worker’s first day. In all 20 cases, heat illness prevention programs were found to be incomplete or absent, and no provision was made for acclimatizing new workers to heat.
Acclimatization is a critical part of preventing heat illnesses and fatalities, and workers should gradually build up workloads and exposure to heat by taking frequent breaks for water and rest in shade or air conditioning, OSHA says. OSHA’s national Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Workers raises awareness about the risks for heat-related illness or death and provides tools to help prevent them.
The agency recommends that employers have prevention programs that include oversight, hazard identification, a formal acclimatization program, modified work schedules as necessary, training, and emergency planning to prevent heat-related fatalities. OSHA has a free application for mobile devices that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites. For more information and resources in English and Spanish see www.osha.gov/heat.
(http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOL/bulletins/c8b77e)
Related Stories
| Dec 18, 2014
Boston testing mobile building permit tracking app
The app called Permit Finder could free city employees from having to respond to the 30 to 40 permit status-related calls they receive each week.
| Dec 18, 2014
Deal on 2015 budget slashes most federal construction spending
The $1.1 trillion funding bill for fiscal year 2015 approved by Congress makes deep cuts in some construction programs, but the General Services Administration suffered just a short haircut by comparison.
| Dec 11, 2014
Mayor backs reform of Pittsburgh inspection, permitting practices
The proposal, among other things, would impose a rental registration program and fee targeted at keeping better track of problem landlords.
| Dec 11, 2014
Los Angeles mayor proposes earthquake retrofit program
The ambitious program would focus on some apartment buildings built before 1978 and concrete buildings constructed before 1976.
| Dec 11, 2014
Outdated building code hampering recruitment of high-tech businesses in New York State
New York State’s building code is outdated and is hampering the recruitment of high-tech employers, according to a coalition of construction, fire safety, and insurance industry groups.
| Dec 11, 2014
Defense Authorization Act rejects BRAC for 2017
The House of Representatives has passed the $584.2 billion Defense Authorization Act.
| Dec 4, 2014
New airports raising green standards to new heights
Recent airport designs are bigger and much more efficient, based on a look at recent projects in Mexico City, London, and China.
| Dec 4, 2014
Rock Hill, S.C., puts moratorium on multifamily construction
City officials say the flurry of apartment construction over the past year has strained resources, including public services and infrastructure.
| Dec 4, 2014
Ontario contractors renew push for prompt payment legislation
A new coalition of Ontario contractors, construction associations, suppliers and trade unions will push for a revival of prompt payment legislation late this year.
| Dec 4, 2014
Roofing material manufacturers extend research project on sustainable roofing
A coalition of trade groups is sponsoring continued analysis of a reroofing project at the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville, New York.
